Approach for defining and conceptualizing the core attributes of general practice
10.3969/j.issn.1674-2982.2017.05.001
- VernacularTitle:全科医疗核心特征功能概念与内涵界定的研究思路
- Author:
Li KUANG
- Keywords:
General practice;
Primary care;
Attributes;
Defining and conceptualizing
- From:
Chinese Journal of Health Policy
2017;10(5):1-6
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
General practice is the core of primary care.The attributes of primary care includes five core attributes (first-contact, accessibility, continuity, comprehensiveness and coordination) and three derived attributes (community orientation, family base and patient-centerdness).Only if the general practitioners integrate these attributes in their daily provision of health care, may the genaral medical care be transformed into high quality health care.The conceptualization of the core attributes lays the groundwork for theories of core attributes, which is an essential part of primary care theories.However, there exists an overlapping between the existing definitions and concepts of primary health care and their boundaries are not clear.Therefore, this paper first reviews the current literature on definitions and connotations of primary care attributes, then discusses the potential problems and solutions that may emerge during conceptualization, and finally provides the three principles to define the concepts and connotations of general practice attributes, namely controllability, exclusiveness and exhaustion.
